New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-01-05
American Politeness.

American POliteness.
The passenger in the crowded street
railway car is oftendisturbed by the
conscious ABSORPTION Of his masculine
neighbors in their newspapers when a
woman enters and looks for aseat. If
she be young and pretty, there are APP
parantly seats enough, however great
the crowd. and even if man is slow
to rise, he may yet, with Mr.. Ready
wit, exhort his son sitting upon his
| knee to get up and give the lady his
seat. The impatient passenger, in his
indignation at the want of courtesy
upon the part of others, sometimes
forgets, indeed, to rise himself. But
there IS always some Nathancomfort-
ably seated farther away whose
amused look says to the impatient
but stationary David. ..Thou art the
man."
| It would be very unfair to generalize
from this frequent situation that the
American is uncourteous.. On the
contrary, he is the most truly polite
man among men of all nations. Lady
Nav who is familiar with the
society and the manners OF many
countries, and who has been always
accustomed to hear Americans in Eu-
rope described everywhere and with
pungent emphasis as '.those Ameri-
cans" were amazed upon coming here
to find universal courtesy. "In the
street or at the railway station" she
said, eff ask anybody any question,
| receive the most prompt and polite
reply Everybody is at my service,
not with much bowling or fourishing,
| but heartily and honestly. I have
never seen such universal courtesy"
| When she was asked whether she
| had observed the absorption
| OF the street car passengers in their
newspapers, she smiled and said that
she had. never been obliged to stand,
because some one was sure to rise
| But in Paris she said that often as she
was passing to seat Monsieur Cra-
peaud, raising his hat politely, and
saying warmly, Pardon! pressed by
and secured the seat.
Lady Mavourneen, who tells little
story with great humor, described
scene ins a crowded church in Paris.
An apparent lady was disturbing ev-
erybody by pushing along toward
distant chair in the row. when Lady
Mavourneen arose to allow her to
pass more easily, and the apparent
lady Immediately slipped into my
lady's chair, and held it fast, saying
only, Madame, you left the chair;
took it. You have lost it. Voila!" A
vagabond Of this kind took the seat
OF a gentleman who had risen to help
a lady off a street car. When the
gentlemen returned he mentioned to
the interloper that it was his seat
when he took it, and that he should
continue to occupy it. "If you don't
get out OF that seat I'll take you OUT"
was the rejoinder; and the squatter
scowed and abdicated.
Lady Mavourneen found, what
every lady will find, that she could
travel everywhere in ''the States"
alone, with entire safety and sur
rounded by the utmost courtesy
The word GLADLY" with which she will
be accosted by hackmen. and porters
and conductors is spoken with
kindly respect, and even if some per-
son in q lady's garb thrusts herself in
to the cue OF passengers slowly adj
| vancing to the window of the ticket
| office to buy tickets, there may be
sour looks and amazed stares, but
she will generally have her way. So
great is our courtesy that we honor
the counterfeit claim. The source of
the most serious objection to the de-
mand OF suffrage for women is the Sc
cret apprehension that men will lose
their sincere difference, and treat
women as they treat other men, thus
robblng life OF the tender romance of
chivalric courtesy. Emerson says of
the successful lover and his mistress,
"She was heaven, while he pursued
her as a star; can she be heaven it she
stoops to such a one as he?''
| Yet, Whilethis feeling is frequent, and
seems to many very plausible, it is the.
true respect Of the American for wom-.
en- which is the real strength OF this
very movement. The European SEN
timent for women is still somewhat
medieval. She is still the goddess OF
the troubadours and the minnesingers,
but a goddess who is treated as the
South-sea Islanders treat their gods,
beating them when they are not pro-.
pitious. To the American sheis Words
worth's phantom OF Delight" seen
upon nearer view; and it is idle to.
prettle about her sphere" as if she;
did not instinctively know it more,
truly than men. The universal court.
esy which Lady Mavourneen Remarked
is essential respect and kindness 1f
feeling, which no more permits man
to gid his selfshness with Pardon
and a touching Of his hat than it per-
mits him to strike woman.
Yet although courtesy is essentially
in the heart, and is kind feeling rather.
than respectful manner, it is not